In Sickness And Health
by inuchick22
Summary: LZ oneshot. Zelda has been working herself too hard and Link is there to comfort her in her time of need.


The guard passed the huddle of bushes, thinking that he was getting entirely too old for his job. That had been at least the ninth time that week he could have sworn hearing something, thinking it an intruder. In fact, it seemed to happen quite frequently.

With a heavy sigh he turned and returned to his original post, muttering under his breath about his long awaited retirement. What he didn't know was that he was spot on. There _was_ an intruder and he had been sneaking into the castle nearly everyday for the past seven years.

The intruder had always been very skilled in maneuvering through the impossibly large field stretching out before the castle, dodging the guards and finding perfect hiding spots. But now that he had gotten older and bigger, it was becoming just a tad more difficult.

When the guard was standing in place with his large spear at his side, the intruder sighed softly. That was really the only guard that ever heard his nearly noiseless footsteps and the rustling of the foliage. But luckily, all was well.

Slowly, he emerged from the bushes and stood at his full height, his back cracking from huddling into the uncomfortable ball he had been forced into moments before. He stretched quietly, safely hidden by the castle wall. As he did he looked out and saw the entrance gate looming at the end of the field. He only used that gate when it was daylight.

Above the sky was probably dark but was lit up by the golden moon and the shining stars and appeared a deep blue. All of this light poured out onto the field and would have betrayed his presence, but he was hidden in the shadow.

The young man looked up and saw the familiar window far above him. He grinned when he saw the same target that was always hung up over the large window by the woman he risked everything for just to see.

She literally meant the world to this seventeen year old. She was the reason he woke up everyday with a smile, the reason he worked himself to death trying to keep Hyrule safe, and quite frankly, she was the reason he even breathed. Without her he was nothing.

But he knew that he could never in his wildest dreams have her. She was of the Royal Family, a princess. She was the most beautiful woman in all of Hyrule, and to him, in all the world. On top of this she was very intelligent and humble about her title. She often disguised herself just for one day of freedom, leaving the grounds with him to venture about.

No, he shook his head solemnly, he wasn't good enough for her. It was best to just be her closest friend and in that way, he could at least always see her. But then he frowned. Well, until she finally had to choose a suitor on her eighteenth birthday and marry. Until she had to produce an heir to keep the lineage going.

So he wouldn't sadden himself further, he pulled out his hookshot and hardly even had to aim for the target. It hit it dead on, another bullseye, and dragged him up onto the small ledge. Once the hookshot was tucked away once more, he leaned down to peer inside.

Inside of the bedroom he could see the candle on the desk near the door burning brightly, the room now dim enough to see. His eyes captured the interest of the young woman sitting at the desk, hunched over with her face buried into an open book in front of her.

He opened the window and stood upon the ledge for a moment. Now, the moonlight spilling down revealed the identity of the intruder.

His tunic and floppy hat were both green, the trait of the Kokiri who lived in the forest. But he was not of the Kokiri although he had lived with them until the age of ten. He had come to know at that age that he was truly a Hylian, his parents killed in the war.

His leggings were a crisp white, washed nearly every night by one of the maids in the castle whom had taken a liking to the strapping young man. His undershirt was light blue, nearly white, and the collar stuck out from underneath his tunic. Leather, fingerless gloves adorned his callused hands and usually over top were his prized golden gauntlets but not that night. On his feet were the same brown boots he always wore, sometimes forgetting to take them off when going to bed.

But his face was even more stunning then his muscular physique draped in green clothing. His eyes, bluer than the Lake Hylia itself, held such mystery and wonder that nearly every woman in Hyrule was smitten with him. They all wanted to know his secrets.

Carefully he hopped down onto the floor, turning only to close the window before he let in the chill. He then returned his eyes to the woman he came to see. He crossed the room quietly to her side, bending forward to get a closer look.

Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were flushed. Her skin, although at the moment a faint pink, was usually a cream color with an even texture and flawless complexion. The sea green color of her eyes, when they were open of course, complimented the tone beautifully. Her long, golden hair, the same color as his, was spread out on the other side of her head.

Her breathing was even but sounded a bit ragged. With a furrowed brow, he pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth. He knew his fingers were probably a bit cold but didn't think twice about it as he gently brushed aside her bangs and laid his hand against her forehead. The skin beneath it burned with fever.

"Oh Zelda," he breathed quietly, "you work yourself too hard."

He pulled the glove back on over his hand, his gaze over her still scrutinizing. Now that he knew he really noticed how ill she looked. Her teeth chattered slightly but the sound was quiet and a light sheen of perspiration covered her face.

He bent and slid an arm underneath her knees while the other circled her back. It was almost too easy to pick up her small body. She wasn't short but she was skinnier than a twig and had the smallest hands and feet you'd ever seen in your life.

As he picked her up she moaned softly, cracking open her eyes. She looked confused at first but then her eyes settled upon his face and she managed a sleepy smile.

"Link." She mumbled, her voice somehow still sounding singsong and angelic.

"Shh, go back to sleep Zelda." He ordered gently, carrying her to the four poster bed. Without setting her down he pulled back the covers and laid her body on the sheets, pulling the blankets back up over her to her chin.

He then went to her large closet and rummaged around for any more blankets. Once he had come upon two quilts he returned to her side and laid them out over her as well, tucking them around her to keep in the heat.

"How are you?" She asked, her eyes half open and the smile still spread across her face.

"Better off than you are at the moment." He dipped the rag he had found into the bowl of water on her dresser. When it was soaked he wrung it out once before folding it across her forehead.

When her lips moved he placed a finger over top of them.

"You need to sleep. You have a fever." He told her, trying to be stern but he couldn't keep the gentleness from his tone.

"Oh Link you worry too much." She insisted, trying to sit up but Link took a gentle hold of her shoulders and shook his head to discourage her.

"Rest." He then smoothed out the rag before heading back to the desk. Taking the chair, he pulled it beside the bed and seated himself there to watch over her. He watched as her eyelids slowly drooped over her eyes once more.

He kept his eyes on her comatose form without looking away once. Her chest rose and fell evenly but her breaths still sounded labored. He knew that she had been working herself way too hard, skipping meals and staying up late. She was assisting her father in the blueprints for a new wing of houses to be built in the market place for any who had unfit homes. The work sounded easy but in reality was backbreaking and very difficult.

But never once had she complained. She hadn't told her father how she never got out anymore or how she was losing much weight from the meals she missed. She was too focused and dedicated to her people and to her King to do such a thing. She was a strong woman.

Link stayed in the chair, leaned back with his arms folded over his chest, until the sky showed signs that the sun should be rising within the hour. Though he didn't want to leave her this way, he knew that sneaking out after sunrise would be very difficult to accomplish.

So with a final adjustment of the blankets and a quick rewetting of the rag, he went to the window and looked back only once to see her sleeping before jumping out of the window.

* * *

"Good morning Link." The guard at the castle doors greeted him. It was the same guard that had nearly discovered Link's hideout the night before. He smiled and saluted to him, taking Epona's reigns in his free hand.

"Good morning to you too." He returned the greeting and watched as Epona was led to the stables in the courtyard.

Every morning Link would ride to the castle and have breakfast with the King, Impa, Zelda, and whoever happened to be a guest. He would then assist the King or Zelda with whatever they needed help with or do whatever he could to lighten any load.

He made his way up the steps and grabbed a hold of the large, golden knockers to open the doors. They closed shut behind him with a loud thud, echoing through the foyer. An intricate fountain was in the center of the circular foyer, the floors polished and clean.

He then made his way into the dining hall where he saw that the King was already seated with Impa and two other men, both dressed proficiently and looked to be of high stature. When the King saw Link, he smiled and motioned for him to come and sit.

"Ah Link, come and join us lad." His voice boomed joyously throughout the room. He always had a way of sounding so merry and jolly, unless of course he was angry. Then his voice could be the most frightening thing you could ever hear.

Link smiled and headed for his usual seat cattycorner to the King. He pulled out the chair and sat down, watching as a maid rushed to set a plate in front of him filled with steaming food that smelled delicious. His mouth watered.

"Eat up; you always have such an appetite." The King pounded him on the back before continuing his conversation with the gentlemen. Impa seemed fairly interested in the conversation as well.

But instead of eating, Link's eyes drifted to the winding staircase. There, making her way slowly down them was Zelda. Her face was very pale and she was clutching a handkerchief in one of her fists. She had pulled her hair into a messy bun on the back of her head and had slipped into a silk dress, clinging tightly to her small frame.

She nearly stumbled down the last step but managed to get to the table in one piece. She took her usual seat beside Link and the same weak smile stretched across her face.

"Good morning Link." Her voice was quiet.

"Zelda…" He knew she shouldn't have been up and around for it looked as though her illness had gotten worse. Her usually lovely eyes were clouded with fever and beads of sweat were beginning to form on her white forehead.

"Zelda," the King suddenly looked at his daughter, "my dear you don't look so well."

"I'm fine, really." She attempted to widen her smile. "I just had a rough night. I didn't sleep so well."

That was a lie. Link knew that she had slept like a rock. She hadn't stirred so much as once, nor had she woken. He knew that she looked the way she did and why she was so weak was because of the fever.

The King seemed satisfied. But as conversation continued, Zelda was suddenly thrown into a fit of violent coughing, her handkerchief positioned tightly over her mouth. She gasped for air between coughs, bowing over as she did so. Link grew frightened and placed a hand flat against the small of her back and rubbed circles into it.

"Impa, send for the physician will you?" Link asked before the King could. Impa nodded in agreement and quickly departed.

"No," Zelda tried to cease her coughing, "really I'm fine."

"I agree with Link. You are ill." The King sounded firm. He muttered something to the men present and they left the room. The King got up as well. "We'll be discussing plans in the throne room."

As he began to leave, Zelda got up from her chair. She went around Link and circled the table to follow him. He noticed that she was clutching the tablecloth with the hand that also held the handkerchief. He knew something was wrong.

"Father I want to help…" Her voice was trailing off as she spoke and Link watched in horror as she suddenly fainted, bringing the tablecloth coming down with plates and silverware crashing to the floor.

"Zelda!" He leapt over the table and landed in a crouch, quickly gathering her body up in his arms as her father returned, looking worried like him.

"Oh no…" The King picked up the handkerchief and Link's eyes widened when he saw a puddle of blood staining the white fabric.

* * *

The physician concluded that Zelda had contracted pneumonia. He assured everyone that she would recover, but had she not gotten medical attention at the time that she did then the illness would have worsened and she could have died. He left these unsettling thoughts with the castle before giving the instructions for caring for her.

Link, who had spent his entire day seated outside the Princess's bedroom, offered to stay with Zelda that night in case she would need anything. The King agreed that it was a wise decision and so he left him to watch over his daughter.

He made himself busy at first, rewetting the washcloth covering Zelda's face every so often and tucking the covers further in around her and fluffing her pillows. But after he had completed each job a couple of times over he decided to just sit. And so he sat in the same chair he had the night before, covering his eyes with a hand as he leaned forward on his knees.

All was quiet and still, save for the sound of the young man and woman breathing. His were deep and quiet while hers sounded raspy and uneven.

Reaching out he took her clammy hand in his and held it. He allowed his thumb to move gently back and forth over her smooth skin while his blue eyes continued to watch her stone face.

"You scared me today Zel." Link admitted with a tired laugh. "I've been in swordfights and battled against creatures twice as big as me and every time I've been afraid. But I felt a different kind of fear today."

He paused to hear her breaths, counting each one until he reached twenty.

"It was that same fear I felt seven years ago when Ganondorf trapped you in that crystal. The fear that…I'll lose you. I don't want to lose you Zelda. You mean the world to me – possibly even more than that."

Suddenly he felt her squeeze his hand lightly. He shook himself from the daze he had been in and saw her eyes slowly opening.

He felt embarrassed and felt his cheeks heat up. What had she heard?

"Zelda I-"

"I don't want to lose you either Link." She began to sit up, removing the washcloth with her free hand as she did so.

"You need to go back to sleep." He told her, moving from the chair to her bedside. He sat down on the edge and placed his hands on her shoulders. He had forgotten that Impa had changed her into a nightgown with very small straps. His naked skin met hers and it felt like a surge of electricity.

Without a word, he eyed her lips as if to ask permission to kiss them. He knew that doing this would be wrong but his body seemed to have its own control. He slowly leaned in but Zelda moved back. He felt his cheeks heat up again and couldn't help but feel hurt. She seemed to notice.

"I just don't want to get you sick." She explained softly, moving her arms around his waist. She then inched closer and finally laid her head against his strong chest with a content sigh. "When I am well you can kiss me whenever you please."

Link grinned and wrapped his own arms around her, instead kissing the top of her head. Her golden hair felt like silk against his lips. He liked the feeling.

"I intend to hold you to that promise." He watched as she raised her chin after a moment or two, her sea green eyes looking up into his ocean eyes.

"I love you. I'm so sorry that I waited so long to tell you Link. But I love you." She murmured. She felt a bit ashamed telling him this now. She felt the sweat covering her face and she knew how horrifying she must have looked.

Link moved his face close to hers, their forehead pressed comfortably against one another's. He nuzzled her nose with his own. He felt completely and utterly happy and nothing could take that from him.

"I love you too Zelda. You are what carried me through my trials. Yours is the only face I see at night when I lie awake in bed. You have my love forever." He said tenderly, gazing into her eyes.

And then she suddenly flew backwards, Link's hand still holding the back of her neck. He grew concerned as she began to cough into the palm of her hand. He could hear her raspy breathing and felt the same fear rising in his chest as he watched helplessly until the coughing stopped.

"Oh." She looked into her trembling hand at the blood stain. Link acted quickly and took the washrag and used his free hand to wipe up the mess. He then dabbed the corner of her mouth before cupping her cheek.

"That's enough talking for tonight Zel. You need to get some rest."

"Will you stay?" She asked as he gently pushed her down onto the bed, already beginning to tuck her in. He smiled down at her before brushing his lips against her forehead.

"You know I will."

And so he sat back in the chair, pulling it a bit closer. Zelda smiled before slowly falling back into a deep sleep. Link noticed that her breathing was definitely calmer and sounded much better. Perhaps it was because the fever was beginning to break. Or perhaps it was because her fingers were laced with his. At last.

He made a promise that night to himself. To be by her side through the good and bad times and through sickness and health. But with a smile he realized that he had been fulfilling that promise nearly his whole life.


End file.
